


Halcyon

by adobochan



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Pirates, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-08
Updated: 2015-02-14
Packaged: 2018-02-16 12:26:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 17,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2269662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adobochan/pseuds/adobochan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pirate!AU. A hostage situation between a naval officer and his pirate captor has them questioning their loyalties to their causes and learning that they might not be as powerful as their loyalty to each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Capture

**Author's Note:**

> So I am late, I'm late, for a very important date! My wifey, hikari0907, just had her birthday and I missed it! T^T Life has been very hectic and I apologize sincerely for that. Also, this in my anniversary fic for her and since it was so long (I was at 8k and the end was not in sight, nope) I decided to split it. So, yes, there is smut on the way and yes, a happy ending is in store. You'll just have to wait and see. ;)
> 
> Enjoy, everyone~

Swinging his sword, Toushirou barreled down on his opponent with one fell swoop. He stunned him enough to unman him, the other howling as he gripped his wrist in pain. Just a glance and he could guess it was broken. A swift kick to the gut had the scoundrel on his knees and successfully tamed.

“Leave no man! I want every pirate here, dead or alive!” the soldier yelled before he subdued two more underlings. But this wasn’t the one he wanted. His men could handle a crew. What Hitsugaya was after was much bigger prey.

He stormed the ransacked vessel, telling the wealthy passengers to head to his boat adjacent to their ship. Many had stopped to beg him to save their things, much of their assets in quantified gold coins and precious jewels hidden below deck. He said he’d try his best but the glare on his face wasn’t kind.

Were their lives worth less than the money they’d saved? Did he think he didn’t know they were trying to escape their homes to avoid rising taxes? All for some wealth that had been handed down through the generations and not of their own ability.

 _Focus, Toushirou. You still haven’t found her._ He couldn’t afford to cloud his judgment with their pettiness.

The last of the few pure pirates, the woman best known as the Pirate Queen had run through his seas so often but had proven too difficult to catch. He’d heard of her mostly in passing, taking down one naval ship after another. His then-superiors had cursed her existence after she’d humiliatingly showed them mercy. It seemed that taking lives was only done if necessary.

Toushirou wouldn’t give her a chance to decide if he was worth her kindness.

Turning the corner, he stopped when he saw a huddled figure on the floor. Dressed in a cloak and long skirts, Hitsugaya immediately went to her side.

“Miss? Miss, please wake up. Your life is in danger here,” the officer coaxed, shaking her gently. Pulling back the hood, he was struck by her unsuspecting prettiness. He took a second to gather himself, reddening at his own childishness.

A small groan left her lips as her lashes flickered open. Dark, dark eyes looked up at him and for a second Hitsugaya had to tell himself to breathe. He gulped and pretended to loosen the collar around his neck. Now was not the time to be fawning over a woman.

“Are you alright, my lady?” Helping her stand, he watched as the girl nodded her head carefully, clasping her hands at her front.

“I’m sorry for the trouble. There was just such a big commotion and—”

Her words were cut off by the sudden rocking of the ship and the walls creaking with mounting strain. His best guess was a canon had been fired. Cursing beneath his breath, Hitsugaya offered the woman his hand and a hardened expression.

“Allow me to escort you out, miss. It’s not safe here. Your ship has been raided by pirates,” he explained as he made his way down the hall, “Their captain has yet to be found but I know she’s nearby. You must hurry and get to your family.”

“How kind of you, sir.” She clasped his hands just a little too hard, nearly making him flinch. He’d never met a maiden with such a strong grip. “But you’ll have to forgive me, I’m afraid I’m not who you think I am.”

He didn’t get to question her as she tore away and stepped onto the wooden deck before him. The brown cloak around her fell into a pool at her feet, followed by the dress under it. Under any other circumstances Toushirou would’ve blushed and stuttered out a reprimand but not today. Instead he took in the sleek lines of the pants and sleeves that laid underneath. But even more eye-opening was the sword in its holster at her hip.

“Take the riches, men, and let us make our escape! There’s nothing left for us here!” she yelled into the crowd with the pump of her fist. The resounding shouts made her grin as she watched her crew brush off the enemy navy, brandishing swords, knives, and pistols with gusto. Her own fingers itched as she moved towards the stairs so she could return to her black-curtained home.

But a certain savior wouldn’t make it easy for her. “Halt, pirate! You are under arrest by the order of the Emperor and will be put to trial for your heinous crimes against the crown.”

“My, oh my, a boy who wants to play hero. How cute,” the raven-haired beauty chuckled. She saw the grip on his hilt tighten in anger. She drew her own in response. “I’ve heard of you, Captain Hitsugaya. You’re known far and wide for both your ability and… lack of stature.”

“I won’t sink to your levels, woman. I have my pride.” And sadly, it still stung at the aimed insult.

“Well, I’m glad to hear all the rumors are true. Not that you have the skill to defeat me but you may try all the same,” Karin laughed tauntingly. Drawing her blade, she nodded at him to do the same.

The slash of steel against steel rung as they clashed. Cheers from her crew could be heard from all sides. She had to make it a good fight for them. Not unless she wanted a mutiny on her hands; after so much time at sea, she’d gotten tired of quelling the outbursts from new recruits. This alone would suffice as reason not to test her patience.

He came at her with experience and ability that she admired, clean swipes that would’ve taken the head of a lesser opponent. But he was a man dug deep into his basics, lacking imagination for battle with a bunch of rogues with no rules. It would be her victory, could see it shining when he missed the opportunity to sweep her legs and back her into a corner.

Truly, Karin couldn’t stand fighting with upstanding gentlemen. They were notorious bores.

 _Well, maybe not all_ , she smirked as she managed to unhand Hitsugaya. An unladylike maneuver and he knew it, sending her a glare that would’ve shredded her better than any armed combatant could. However it was her victory and the knowing smile she sent him made sure he knew it.

“I’ll claim my prize now, Captain,” Karin said, sauntering up to him and grabbing him by the chin. With her heeled boots they met at eye-level, which was more than mildly satisfying. He was a few years older than her but she was ready to prove she was his superior in every way.

“What’re you—” His words were cut when she knocked him out cold. He slumped to the floor ungracefully, a mass of blue and tan.

“Madarame, escort my guest aboard the ship,” Karin gestured behind her as she made her way back to the connection between this vessel and her own.

He scooped up the naval officer like he was a sack of rice. “It ain’t like ya ta take prisoners, Cap’n.”

“I’m feeling adventurous today.”

“Is that how women say they’re lookin’ fer comp’ny these days?” He howled at his own joke but came to an abrupt halt when he nearly ran neck-first into her sword.

“Watch your mouth, Madarame. I’m not as kind as I pretend to be,” she threatened, her voice hushed amidst the chaos.

She sheathed her weapon as she led him back, waving her hand to regroup the others. Clearing his throat, Madarame grumbled under his breath as he walked the bridge back to their ship.

“Ain’t nobody ever call’d you kind, Cap’n…” 

* * *

In the darkness, Hitsugaya registered the heaviness of his limbs even before he opened his eyes. The wood beneath him creaked with the waves that shook the vessel, the floor damp and seeping into his clothes. The ringing of metal chains reached his ears, as he struggled to sit up with a groan. There was little light in the gallows, only torches that served as a weak source. Not that he needed to see anything. The crooked bars of his cell were all the view he had in this place.

He wondered how long he’d been out or if anyone had noticed he’d gone missing and reported his absence. But even if they had, it was suicide to attack a pirate ship head-on and he’d never ask his commanding officers to send his soldiers to death. Instead he was going to have to concoct his own escape plan.

“Looks like our prisoner is awake.”

Dragging his gaze up, Toushirou squinted at a figure standing outside his cage. The pretty pronunciation was unusual and quickly had his brain in gear. Educated men didn’t join pirate crews. Then again, women didn’t lead quests for gold and silver but that wasn’t completely true either.

“Who are you?” Hitsugaya rasped out, licking his lips when he noticed how parched he was. The breaking of his voice was uncomfortable in his throat.

“Ayasegawa, third mate under our captain. And you are our prisoner, Captain Hitsugaya of the Seireitei Royal Navy,” the man said, slipping in with what appeared to be a dish of water and food scraps.

Despite his hunger, Toushirou eyed the platter distrustfully.

“It’s not poisoned if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“How can I be so sure?” His chains jingled as he tested the texture of the meal. “I have no reason to believe you when I’ve been locked up like this.”

“Please, if Cap wanted you dead, _you’d be dead_. She’s not the kind who takes what she doesn’t want.”

“Explains a lot about her, doesn’t it?” he spoke acerbically, his mood dipping. He hadn’t expected her to be able to wield a blade so well. Like many of his station, he’d assumed that she was merely a figurehead and that the muscle came from her many underlings.

“Look, I dunno what she was thinking, taking a decorated officer like you, but we all trust Cap’s decisions. Even weird ones like these. She’s got plans for you, Hitsugaya. Might as well eat your fill before you gotta go toe-to-toe with her again. I know I wouldn’t want to be anything less than on my game against her.”

Turning back, Ayasegawa locked the door and left as quickly as he arrived. As uncharacteristic as it was, Toushirou heeded those wise words and took a long swig from his water. If he was going to escape here he was going to need more than just his strength, it seemed.

* * *

“Again.”

Panting hard, Hitsugaya stared hard at the wood beneath his palms with growing frustration. Around him he could feel judging eyes, the crew only pretending to work as their captain put him through his paces. How had it come to this, sparring with a girl who also doubled as the most-wanted felon in the country?

For a week now he’d become her personal punching bag, as per her terms.  Defeat her and he would be allowed to leave at the next port. Until then, he was hers to do with what she wished.

“Did you hear me?” she snarled softly. He’d learned early on that it was the way she communicated in front of her crew, to instill fear. “Either get up or no dinner.”

He answered back with a growl deep in his chest, grabbing his rapier and dusting himself off. If that was how she wanted to play the game, then fine. He’d win his freedom and honor back in one fell swoop. If he couldn’t, then he deserved to rot away on this vessel with criminals for handlers, scraping out an existence at the whims of a child.

His determined gleam pleased Karin, who raised her own practice blade in return. And again they clashed, an unlikely but complementary pair.

* * *

From the start, Toushirou was sure there was nothing redeeming about this woman and her crew. He’d shared meals with her and her men, together and apart, worked to keep the deck clean and the ship running on course. But that was only when she wasn’t trying to flay him alive. But with each growing day, as his weariness grew, his admiration for her swordplay went along with it.

More often than not he felt like a puppet and she was his puppeteer, making him dance to avoid an otherwise deadly blow. It might’ve only been sport but Karin didn’t pull punches and it showed. Even her first mate was reluctant to cross her, as mild-mannered as she was most days.

Oh, she could bark out orders like men did and lead with spirit so great that even the dead would join her ranks. But she didn’t need to raise her voice. Her crew was happy to work for her, do her bidding no matter how outrageous. The loyalty she had over them might as well have been black magic; she was their master and no one preferred it otherwise.

His questions slipped from his lips one night, when the ale ran freely and Karin had gone to sleep.

“Why are you all here?” The question was vague even to him but the haziness of the rum made his clumsy.

“Whazzat, Hi-hi-Hitsu…?” His name must’ve been too difficult for the drunkard to pronounce because the bearded man regarded him with glazed interest. And absolutely no intention of finishing his sentence.

“A group of unruly, grown men who fight and pillage for fun is following a girl that many of you could’ve fathered at some point,” he slurred out. The alcohol let his thoughts run loose but his self-control stopped him from consuming just a little too much. “It doesn’t make sense, I tell you. Why follow her when there are other ships with captains whose reputations make men’s ears bleed?”

“You dun- _hic_ -know nuthin’ ‘bout- _hic_ -our cap’n!” the sloppy mess of a man defended, swinging his pint like the ham fist of a boxer.

“Whoa there, old timer, settle down,” one of the youngsters pushed his arm back to him and took a seat on Toushirou’s other side. “This guy doesn’t have any reason to like Captain so we can’t expect him to see her the way we do.”

“Deserves mo’ respec’ dan any a’ yer men…” he growled, voice caught somewhere between anger and slumber.  The ruddy hue on him was a telling sign that he was reaching his limit but he sent Hitsugaya a stink-eye that was all business.

“Yes, yes. Return to your drink, old friend, before we have a brawl on our hands,” the blond spoke amiably, if not a bit mockingly, as the other turned away with a grumble. “I apologize. Not many of our crew will allow our captain’s name be taken in vain.”

“Yes I can see that. But why?” Peeking beneath his bangs, a green glare pondered his companion. He was an articulate character, one of breeding and study. What was it that had him stranded in the middle of the ocean amidst a band of merry men and their sadistic leader? What could Karin offer them that no one else had?

When the other turned to him, there was something enigmatic in that beam. “I don’t expect a man with a home and purpose to be able to understand the downtrodden’s existence. Good night, sir.”

Without another word, the young man stood to find company elsewhere and for a moment, Toushirou was afraid he’d offended him. It took his a second to realize he shouldn’t care. A pirate’s ways and whys were none of his business, nor would he ever truly understand them. But how strange though that in that instant, he had at least wanted to try.

* * *

The sun had yet to break when he was abruptly shaken awake. The cell’s cot was still as hard and uncomfortable as ever but it had let him nurse his subtle hangover in peace. His visitor, however, wouldn’t allow him to do the same.

“Get up, Toushirou. I’m borrowing you today.” The distinctly feminine voice was shaded with humor. She probably knew he’d been up late drinking and finding him in such a state only amused her further.

“What is it?” he asked as his voice broke from old liquor and sleep, cringing at its scratchiness. Reluctantly he accepted the water she handed to him and finding that sitting up did nothing for his bounding headache.

“We’ve landed and I need a bit of muscle to go with me,” Karin explained. The snort of disbelief was a reasonable enough response. Who would believe a most-wanted felon needed more protection than the sword at her hip?

However, as Toushirou got a good look at her, he realized that she wasn’t dressed for a fight. Instead there were layers of skirts and trimmed lace, the kind that women of high breeding wore to show off their wealth. The crème trim contrasted with the maroon of her day dress, full of flounce and fashion he wouldn’t have thought she’d pick out for herself. Perhaps the usual reds and browns had made him biased.

He didn’t trust her appearance for one moment. “And where exactly are you heading to need such an elaborate outfit?”

“I have business to attend to at this port, none of which is any of your concern.” Her dressed up tresses were layered beneath a wide brim hat, not unlike the kind young misses used to shield their precious skin. He wanted to tear it off, for no one basked in the sun as much as she did. “That being said, I do need an escort as I have reached an age where going without one brings about gossip and I can’t have that.”

“Oh yes, because your reputation is sparkling…” he rolled his eyes even as he began strapping on his boots. Ever prepared, she handed him an overcoat that was probably worth more than most of his belongings combined and dyed a green just darker than his eyes.

“As far as these people know, yes it is. And it will stay that way. Do you understand me, Toushirou?” she commanded softly, as if cajoling a stray from its corner only to place it in a cage. “Now, if you’ll hurry along, I don’t want to be late.”

“And yet I still have no idea what we’re going to be late for,” he sighed as he fitted the hat onto his head and hid his weapons beneath his wooly armor. It was good fortune that fall had come early as the wind would blow and make his choice of wear less obvious.

The sun was peaking over the horizon when they stepped out, the only ones awake greeting them with open surprise. Or maybe just tiredness. They’d been up all night and relief had yet to join them on deck.

As they left the pier, stone-cobbled streets were beginning to rise with the daylight, merchants setting up shop while keepers swept their wooden floors. Between them the air was quiet and uncomfortable as people came out of the woodwork of their homes and greeted Karin with familiarity that had Hitsugaya raising a brow at her. The scolding look crossed her features only for a moment before she smiled elegantly and returned their well wishes.

So this was most likely a common hub for her and her crew. The small city was lush and obviously well provided for but there were better places to hide a pirate's bounty. A small, well-knit place such as this was the kind where roots had to be made and he couldn't picture her rambunctious crew being able to make them.

Passing by a flower shop, an older, stout brunette greeted his companion with a liveliness beyond her age. "Oh my, you're back from your journey, my lady! And what a long one this one was. Already heading home or will you be staying a few days to grace us with your presence?" The wink she gave was hardly innocent. "I know a few gentlemen who would love to give up a night or two for your company."

"I'm afraid I can't entertain such an idea, though you make it sound very tempting, Sanada-san," Karin was regretful even as she tightened the grip on his arm. "I'm here to tend to a few matters and investments of my father's and then sailing straight home for some rest. I've missed my family dearly, you know. Even with my siblings married off, I can't seem to settle the way they have."

"Ah, you have your mother's wanderlust, no doubt. A beauty with a taste for adventure, that Masaki. But your father was able to snag her and eventually she found a place to settle as well, no? You would do best to consider that for yourself someday soon." She took one of Karin's hands and patted it gently, and although Hitusgaya knew Sanada was being kind the tightness around Karin's eyes said it was having the opposite effect.

"Yes, well, I'm shopping around," she replied testily before glancing up at Toushirou. The calculated sweetness aimed at him was aggravating but he behaved himself as he nodded his head at the shop owner. "Please allow me to introduce Captain Hitsugaya of the Seireitei Royal Navy. He has been so kind as to see me home via my father's request."

"Oh, that doting man. Never could leave his daughters alone," Sanada giggled as Toushirou bowed over her hand. She sent Karin a knowing smile. "But how could he let such a handsome man leave with his defenseless daughter? Why, he could steal you away at any moment."

If only she knew. "I'm afraid it's the other way around, Sanada-san. Escape from Karin-san is, at best, futile," Hitsugaya explained with utmost seriousness. The stab to his toe was covered by the large woman's melodious laughter, obviously missing the inside joke. His own smile back was humorless and pain-filled.

"Well aren't you charming, young man? Just like your father, Kurosaki-san. A navy man with a sense of humor. Perhaps it runs in your family."

"Perhaps," Karin grinned as she gave a subtle tug to his elbow. "I'm sorry we must cut our meeting short, Sanada-san, but we must be off by lunch if we wish to make good time. It was wonderful seeing you again."

The jovial woman waved happily and made sure Karin received a small bouquet for her troubles. Pinks and purples he wasn't sure would suit her fit into her hand and from a glance Toushirou could almost say she was a lady. Almost. The fact that she was deadly never escaped him as they made their way into the rush hour of the port city, carriages pulled by heaving horses and crowds of people trying to get to their jobs on time.

It was obvious Karin knew her way around, preferring alleys and side streets to avoid the masses and not caring if her dress got dirty in the process. Perhaps this had been a home for her at some point. He wouldn't know. There was little he knew about this girl, he pondered to himself, as she was forced to walk in front of him to guide them through the throng of bodies. The warmth of her glove filled his hand and climbed up to his shoulder, and Toushirou wondered about how much of her he was missing out on.

They found their way out of downtown and onto the outskirts of the central area. People milled about but without the pushing and shoving that they'd experienced earlier in the day. Instead it was a more peaceful humming of voices in dialogue and shopkeepers promoting their wares. And more than ever Hitsugaya was curious where they were heading.

"Am I truly like your father?" He asked abruptly when they finally came to a more sedate pace. The slight falter in her steps was only noticeable by the pause in her skirts and the jump of her fingertips as she found his arm again. "I can't imagine you coming from a strict household. Or any household for that matter."

"I'm not scum at the bottom of the barrel, if that's what you're implying, sir," she said primly, turning her nose up. A show for the public, no doubt. If they were on her ship she would've backhanded him and been done with it. "My family does have military ties, however. My father was a commander of the eastern Navy before retiring as a physician so he could settle down with my mother. My brother you will probably know, however. He's the leader of the central army that guards this area."

Toushirou nearly swallowed his tongue. "You're Ichigo's little sister? That reckless, hotheaded idiot?"

"He's also a strategic genius, but yes, we are of the same cloth and blood," Karin shrugged, unoffended. "We've even come to a head a few times on the high seas. He's no easy opponent, my big brother." She smirked then, remembering something both pleasant and menacing. "I bet he regrets teaching me the art of swordfights. I've never bested him but he's never managed well against me either."

"Well that would explain a few things..." That man was a monster with a sword and pistol. He could take out a squadron alone, and even Toushirou had never clearly beaten him one-on-one. And Karin was better than both of them. "But how did you end up a pirate with two of your kin on the other side of the law? It makes no sense."

"You forget yourself, Captain. I have a mother as well and she was even more of a terror than I am." Just then a light entered her eyes, adoring and so girlish he was almost afraid. "I'm sure you've heard of the most dangerous pirate to sail in the last hundred years? So famous that they disappeared without being caught twenty-five years ago without a trace."

"Who sailed the boat Quincy and was only known by the cross on his hand. Yes, everyone knows that legend."

"Captain, my mother was no legend. She is very much flesh and blood and she could hand any man his heart from his chest just before he fell to death at her feet," Karin gleamed proudly as they took a corner. He didn't miss the almost-bounce in her step. "She is everything I wish I to be."

This was almost too much to take. A father who had retired at the height of his success to become a small-town physician, a mother who bloodied bodies and ransacked towns now a mere homemaker, and a brother who was both his friend and rival. Was there anyone in the Kurosaki family even remotely normal?

"I don't understand though, why did your mother quit at her peak? It's one of the reasons she's gone down in history as one of the most infamous criminals in the world."

From the corner of his eye, Toushirou watched as a pretty flush filled her face. He could almost put money on her answer.

"The rivalry between my parents was strong, so strong that it'd progressed to something they hadn't been expecting," she murmured quietly, secretly. "My mother had no intentions of retiring but then my father came along and ruined her plans. He proposed to her after she'd nearly decaptitated him and she hadn't been able to say no when he promised he'd sail the rest of his life chasing after her." Karin's face twisted, a mix of wistfulness and uncertainty. "It made me wonder if one day I'd turn out like them. As you can guess, I'm not ready for marriage or life decisions beyond the next ship taken or battle fought. I'm not enough like my mother in that I could give up everything I've worked for for a single man."

Her words left something that went unfettered by the cool breeze from a now-distant ocean. Something deeper and more treacherous than Toushirou had been prepared for. Karin was every inch the human he tried not to acknowledge. She could bleed and hurt and dream, wonder about the future as much as anyone else. And she had to. Retirement or death were her only options in this life, and retirement had to come much more swiftly if death was to be evaded.

Would there be a man at the end of her path too? And if so, who was he hoping it'd be?

The question scared him so much that he remained silent for the remainder of their trip, and Karin was grateful for the reprieve. She wasn't the talkative type. She didn't share things so easily, not with her men and never about her family. But an interested look from him and she was ready to tear out every tooth and present it to him if he wished. And that was horrifying for her, as she stared at the uneven cement of the sidewalk.

It started off as a game. She was like a cat chasing after a mouse. She'd grab the tail a bit, maybe nip at its body, but she wasn't going to consume it whole. A feline played with its food and devoured it before it knew any better. Thus the reason why she'd kept the pretty solider for herself when she could've killed him, _should've_ killed him. But the honor and kindness he'd approached her with where another officer would've expected compensation had intrigued her so. Hitsugaya Toushirou was dangerous to her sense of self, and was quickly becoming the predator in their game. And she couldn't have that.

As they approached an old brick building, Karin drew her eyes up at its rust-red color and dilapidated windows. It had undergone some renovation over the years but not much. But that was fine because the people inside were trustworthy. Well, most. Some had even her bones chilling and she wasn't the type that scared off easily.

"I have payments and transfers to handle so if you could please wait outside the door, I'd appreciate it," she whispered as a shabbily dressed man appeared at the entrance and led them to the second floor.

The inside was a bit better than the outside. Dressed in oak wood and pleasant green wallpaper, it was certainly more inviting. Nameless pictures of flowers and vases lined the walls and hallways, with names painted in black, well-worn ink along foggy windows. They looked to be the names of lawyers and other types of solicitors. What kinds of dealings would a pirate captain have that would require living within the law's good graces? At every turn, Karin was becoming more and more a paradox.

They entered the foyer that functioned as a waiting room, a receptionist accepting calls from her station. The brown couch had obviously seen better days, as had the oriental rug that was tucked beneath a chipped, faded coffee table. It was odd knowing that this was not the kind of place that looked to make money, unlike so many other companies he'd visited. No, it looked to take value in its ability rather than appearances.

"This way, my lady," the greeter showed her to a door that read 'Urahara Kisuke' along the front and opened it for her. "Urahara-san has been waiting for you." He gestured at the seating area for Hitsugaya. "Please, have a seat, sir. Would you like a cup of tea?"

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble..." He paused, not knowing the man's name.

"Tessai, sir. I apologize, I'm usually familiar with Kurosaki-san's escorts." With a sweeping bow, the tall man escaped to retrieve his request.

Toushirou sat there quietly for half an hour, his only company the sounds of others' footsteps and the mumbled voices of clients speaking behind closed doors. The tea had been served hot and he was glad for the warmth that filled his bones at the first sip. It'd been a long while since he'd been on land, or so it felt like. He'd almost forgotten the amenities that came with staying in one place for a while.

The peace was disturbed, however, by the invasion of a man's pompous trudge up the stairs. Just the sound of it was arrogant, as Toushirou turned his green stare towards a proud-looking noble who would likely never want for anything. Dressed in finery that was both tasteless and tactless, Hitsugaya nearly rolled his eyes at how unfitting a match he was for this cozy, if not somewhat underwhelming, place.

At the desk, the small woman with a perpetually wet look to her eyes welcomed the man. "G-good morning, my lord. Urahara-s-san is in a meeting. I-If you c-could take a seat..."

"That man knows my appointment is for nine o'clock. Who the devil is he seeing that needs to take up my time?" the blond sneered at the clouded glass. Well, tried to. Toushirou had seen puppies with fiercer looks than that.

"I-it's a rather i-im-important client. Kurosaki Isshin's daughter is very close with Urahara-san, as you know, and—"

Immediately the nobleman straightened and his face cleared with urgency that had Toushirou's guard up. "You never mentioned it was Kurosaki-san. Why, that's another matter entirely." Primping himself in a dust-stained mirror, he adjusted his cravat with purpose. "If she's here then my luck must be on an upward swing."

 _I have an upward swing you can have. Perhaps to your gut_ , Hitsugaya mused as he kept his eyes carefully away.

Just then the door swung open and out came Karin, looking happier and oddly refreshed. Obviously her transaction had gone well because she looked at Toushirou with a sunny beam he'd never seen before, let alone directed at him. That she'd missed her acquaintance's presence was the topping of the cherry on a piece of humble pie, as he stood to collect her. However, he was just a second too slow.

"Kurosaki-san, I didn't know you were here," the blond gesticulated widely, catching Karin's attention. When her expression smoothed, Hitsugaya allowed himself to be only a little pleased. "It has been too long. Are you staying for very long?"

"Unfortunately not, Muto-san. My companion and I are on your way back now, to be honest. Our ship leaves after lunch," Karin replied evenly, politely, as Hitsugaya came to her side. He bore the full brunt of the other man's gaze before it softened considerably as he met Karin's hard frown.

"Ah, then you must allow me the pleasure of your company for a meal. I know just the place down by the water that serves the best chowder in town."

Hitsugaya nearly laughed. While he had no doubt Karin enjoyed a soup or salad on occasion, he'd never seem that girl deal in anything less than the best cut of beef or pork and she devoured them like she'd never eat again. Unless she had free range over the menu, she'd leave hungry with a man like him.

Trying to look contrite and failing miserably, Karin leaned her head onto Toushirou's shoulder for effect. "I'm sorry but my fiancé and I are heading home now. My sister and mother are most eager to meet him, as I'm sure you know since I'm the last of my family to be married. You understand, don't you?"

The red rage in Muto's face contorted into a snarl as Karin twined their fingers and leaned up to place a staged kiss on Hitsugaya's cheek. He didn't know what possessed him to do it but Toushirou effectively dodged her and instead let her lips land on his, careful to aim one eye at the other man. He moved over Karin with a possessiveness that was unsuited for the both of them as a breath caught between her lips and her fingertips found the lapel of his jacket. Even her knees fought for strength, as he curled her into him without effort.

Dangerous. So very dangerous.

"If you'll excuse us, my lord, we must be on our way," Hitsugaya nodded as he held Karin closer than was acceptable. Begrudgingly, the man stepped to the side as the receptionist—Ururu, if he remembered correctly—went warm with their departure. And for the first time he noticed Urahara-san dressed in traditional Japanese garb, waving his fan as his eyes smiled mischievously after them.

* * *

"You know, you are getting better at this. You're probably the only man on this ship that can last this long against Cap," Ayasegawa praised as he handed Toushirou a flask of water. Instead of parching his thirst, he dumped it over his head. Thirty minutes straight. A record as far as anyone knew. And yet victory refused to be his.

"At least Cap'n is goin' full force. She don't even do that wid me and I'm 'er first mate," Madarame grumbled at the unfairness of it all.

"That's because she would crush you," the third threw in his face.

"No she wouldn't! You wanna go, pretty boy?!"

He folded his arms with a huff. "And ruin my perfect hair? You wouldn't be worth the effort, my friend."

"Whazzat? You wanna go, motherfucker?" Standing, a whoop of cheers came from the spectators who'd paused in their duties to see their ranked members take a few shots at each other. Just another day aboard an illicit vessel.

"Alright, that's enough outta both of you. If you can't shape up I'm throwing you both into the water," Karin interrupted as she came down the stairs from the navigator's area. Her masculine clothing hid her feminine shape, letting her blend into the group with distressing ease.

Tracing her figure with his eyes, Hitsugaya remembered how soft she was beneath her armor after one small kiss. Warm and compliant, the kind of body he sought peace in before he rested after a hard day. He was no saint who could claim love and sex were one. And he knew that Karin was made for more sins than murder and thievery, as much as he hated to admit it. He shook his head in disgust as he stood and readied his rapier once more.

And not for the first time today, he asked himself exactly what he was fighting for.


	2. Treasure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG It's done! It's done, it's done, it's done! /cries. I am so glad to get this finished for my waifu, hikari0907, and especially since it's Valentine's day. This is also dedicated to my other waifu, Glowing Blue, because she is wonderful and patient since I have yet to write her fic yet. I AM SORRY. YOU BOTH DESERVE SO MUCH BETTER THAN A HORRIBLE PERSON LIKE ME.
> 
> And a special shot-out to the wonderful and lovely, ichilover3, because she has dragged my muse from the depths of hell with a fic she's writing for me. Thank you! <3
> 
> And, of course, this is for all of you lovely HK fans on Valentine's Day! Have a great one, guys~

* * *

The room was silent except for the clinking of utensils against fine china, the kind one could only get from the outskirts of the far east. Karin remembered the day she'd stolen the bounty from a wealthy merchant, enjoying the beauty of the plates as mayhem danced around her. She’d kept the porcelain for herself, reminded of the tea set her mother loved so much when she was growing up, and sold the rest for gold coin she'd stashed.

“Are you sure you don’t wish to eat?” Karin asked as she took another bite of tender pork. The taste was underscored by wine they’d gotten from a trading ship a few months ago, aged just right.

“No, I’m fine,” Toushirou said as he leaned against the wall near the door. One of her men was always expected to stand guard as she took her meals, partly in case of a surprise attack and partly because she needed someone to sift through any requests from the crew. Nothing ruined a good meal quite like needy pirates.

“But you haven’t eaten, have you?” She glanced at him as she took a sip from her goblet. “You’re useless to me if you faint.”

He snorted unkindly, dragging his gaze to hers for only a second. “It would take more than a few hours without food to take me down. You have nothing to worry about.”

“And here I thought that those in power liked to sit and enjoy themselves. My mistake,” Karin taunted, smirking at the clench of his jaw.

She wasn't wrong. After all, it was public knowledge where all the money went when taxes came around. Of course some of it was used justly, reparations going to the poor and sickly, but far too much was used to line already thick pockets. At his level Toushirou had witnessed the dealings first hand, promising himself he’d never be bought so easily.

“I don’t want to hear criticisms from a woman who makes it her business to steal for a living.”

“Yes, because they’re so much holier than I,” Karin sniffed, unaffected. She pushed her food aroundher plate as she tucked her chin in one hand. She deigned to keep her eyes on the ribbons of flowers scrapping the edge of her dish. “At least everyone knows where my money is going. I’m not hoarding it like a starved child with a scrap of bread and a dozen siblings.”

“As if it’s going someplace worthwhile,” he countered, defensively crossing his arms over his chest. No one wanted to hear their calling being belittled, nor the superiors he worked for blackened by an even darker evil. But mostly, he didn’t enjoy the stab of guilt at her accuracy.

“If my men and their families can eat then I have done my duty. I won’t apologize for that.” The screech of the chair’s legs against the wood was like nails against a chalk board, making him cringe. Ignoring him, she strode to the door and slammed it behind her.

Steps rushed in from down the hall until Hitsugaya found himself face-to-face with Kira. His wide eyes and panting breaths showed his desperation to get there in time, though Toushirou had doubts whether that man knew what shadows he was chasing. And again he wondered what was so important about Karin that made men drop whatever they were doing to find her.

“Where’s Captain?” Izuru asked abruptly, moving quickly around the confines and searching her out, “Is she alright? She never leaves halfway through a meal.”

“We had a bit of an argument,” Toushirou mentioned off-handedly, still not moving from his spot against the wall. The abrupt turn and hard eyes were uncharacteristic of Kira’s soft nature.

“What have you done now?”

“Me? How do you know she wasn’t the one who started it?” It was a stupid question. He was the forcibly held guest and she was the mistress of an unyielding crew but still, he knew himself innocent in this case.

“Captain doesn’t get angry easily, not unless it was about something that mattered,” Kira explained, jaw tightening as if holding in a quiet temper.

“I supposed you can say we had a difference of opinion.”

“About what?”

“Why does it matter?” Hitsugaya snapped.

“Because Captain is important to us, Hitsugaya. You might not care about her wellbeing but there are hundreds of others aboard this ship who would lay down their lives for her,” Kira pushed back, blue eyes flashing protectively. And not for the first time, Hitsugaya grasped for the method to their madness.

“Then enlighten me. What is it that this woman—no, this _girl_ , has over you that you’d break a thousand bones and every law just to follow her? Because I can’t see it.”

An arm threatened to crush his windpipe, cutting off even his cough reflex as bright eyes flashed protectively, like a mother watching over her cub. The unadulterated loyalty was unheard of even among kin so how was it that so many could draw blood for a mere child?

“Let me be clear, Hitsugaya, before someone interrupts unnecessarily.” The words rolled off Izuru’s lips so crisp that Toushirou was once again reminded of his well-bred upbringing, thrown away to serve as an ill-begotten drifter. “Captain Kurosaki has done more for us in the last three months than the government has done for our families in years. Does she steal and loot and pillage? Of course, because that’s the way of anyone who chooses to live by the pirate’s code. But she is better than any of your so-called officials and political leaders because she _cares_ about the people she looks after.”

Between his obstructed jugular and Kira’s testimony, Toushirou couldn’t formulate a proper response. A pirate took care of oneself above all else, that was the belief. But it looked as if Karin didn’t subscribe to that mentality. For whatever reason she watched out for her own, made their hardships hers and her winnings theirs. An unselfish and childish trust in people who could very well end her at any moment.

Kira released him a moment later, piece spoken as he moved to collect the dirty dishes. He escaped without another word but the anger clung to him, his movements rough and muscles tight.

Hitsugaya rubbed at his neck sheepishly. He could feel the aftereffects of Kira’s hold, self-control alone keeping him from sufficiently occluding his throat. It had been in his best interest to fight back but for a moment, Toushirou had the oddest thought that he didn’t have to. No one killed without order on this vessel and Karin had opted to let him keep his life.

Even without words, this motley group showed more order and dedication than a number of his comrades. The understanding ran deep, rung loud, and held them together, stitch by stitch. But he still didn’t understand it, couldn’t, no matter how hard he tried.

* * *

Karin could remember the first time a man had visited her mother when she was a mere five years old. She’d hid in the hallway as Masaki poured tea to a scruffy, older gentleman. He didn’t dress in the fine cloth her brother wore nor the uniform her father had retired. Instead holes littered a permanently browned shirt, as if it’d been washed many times but the wearer had an attachment to it, or perhaps no others to come by. Sturdy pants and well-worn boots were coupled with a sword at his hip, previously hidden by a long coat he’d been wearing before entering their home.

The exchange of words then escaped her, as did everything that time touched. All she could remember was the plea in the man’s voice, words broken syllables of one who grew up in taverns and on street corners but with earnestness that made even her mother’s smile fall. It was with a pat on the hand that she sent her acquaintance away and years later Karin realized that he had been asking her mother for help. It seemed that her crew had floundered when she stepped down, her first mate unable keep the crew’s coffers with a steady income.

To this day Karin couldn’t remember how she assumed her mother’s large, impossible shoes. Only that, out of the blue, she found herself fed up with the established status quo, the one that favored those who already had so much, and she’d demanded change. But there was little a woman could do in her position other than marry well and twiddle her thumbs as she waited for a child to arrive. So one night, she’d decided as she packed a reticule and stole away aboard a ship, that that was not the life for her.

Fast forward years later and she’d commandeered that first ship she took off on, beating out her former captain when she decided she didn’t like his way of running things. She took the helm at eighteen and never looked back, occasionally checking in with her parents to let them know she was still alive. Not that it was comforting for her brother Ichigo, who dreaded meeting her in battle. Whether it was because they were family or he was softening in his old age—and happy marriage—she wasn’t sure.

But no matter what had transpired Karin didn’t regret one moment of her life. Every scar and bruise were hers, made by her own choices, as wrong as some of them had been. On some level she’d used others’ needs as a means for her own and there would always be a little lingering guilt. No matter how much money she was able to save for them, to send to their families, it wouldn’t make her initial motive for freedom any less impure.

To assuage her conscience she sought solitude on the main deck, leaning against the railing and appreciating the bottomless, calm sea. It was so dark that the horizon between the water and sky had melted into blackness. A cup of wine sat off to the side atop a barrel, untouched.

She didn’t enjoy how much power that man had over her. A few senseless words and Toushirou could make her rethink every moment in her life. Which was ridiculous; not even Ichigo had been able to incite grief from her. While her doings might not fall into the straight and narrow Karin knew she was making a difference in people’s lives.

The treading of boots caught her by surprise but she didn’t turn. She hadn’t expected him to come after her. Toushirou was her bodyguard by force, not like her crew. Any of them would be happy to be her shield, deeming it an honor to live and die by her side.

So why hadn’t she been able to call on them? What was it that made Toushirou so special?

“No need to stand guard so close. I have no intentions of dying in such a pathetic place as this,” Karin gestured at the water before turning a sarcastic smile on him. “I’ve no need for a man whose distaste for me makes him incompetent. I relieve you of your duty.”

Satisfied with her act, Karin went back to watching the horizon but her guardian never left. The crashing of the waves against wood were all she heard, the night interjected with the shouts from then men working on deck.

Her frustration bubbled beneath the tolerance. “Did you not hear me? You can leave now.”

“I heard you fine. I just see no need in heeding an order I don’t wish to follow,” he shrugged as he approached the railing. Her shock must’ve been palpable because he glanced over at her, unfazed.

“Fine then. Allow me to clarify. Return to your quarters or I’ll throw you back into your cell.”

Unperturbed, Toushirou merely shrugged at her. “I think I’ll take my chances.”

“Do you know who you’re dealing with, boy? Don’t think that my kindness these last few months doesn’t mean I won’t put you in your place like I would any other parasite.”

“I’m your prisoner, you may do with me what you wish.” He stopped to look at her meaningfully. “That is, if you can make me.”

“Are you challenging me, Toushirou? You haven’t won a match yet and I see nothing in your skills that would warrant such confidence,” she laughed mockingly, tossing her hair behind her before lowering a glare.

He didn’t move to defend himself when she pulled out her sword. He didn’t flinch when she aimed it at his throat. He didn’t react when she clipped the skin of his neck, superficial only because of superb control. No reaction at all and it drove her nerves to madness.

“Either lift your weapon or prepare to sleep with all the other corpses killed aboard this ship,” she raged quietly, spitefully. A vision of Hitsugaya falling to his death and into the murky water should’ve brought an exhilarated rush, but instead it rattled her. Rattled her heart against the bars of her chest.

The clashing of steel against steel had become a comfort to them over the last few months. It had always been something familiar but the splatter of red and the pressure of another’s body running across her blade tended to ruin any pleasure in the sport. And yet, there it was, seen in the way Toushirou danced around her in efficient steps and stabbing strokes and Karin’s almost-smile whenever she managed to clip him. Take the bloodthirstiness away and it was almost a dance.

But there were no words exchanged, no snips of gossip and batted lashes that so many women had used on him. Their flirtations were outright, unskilled and innocently charming, a way to snare most men’s hearts. Karin, however, was anything but unskilled and more ruthless than charming. She stabbed and gutted when she saw fit, dissected her enemies with omniscient eyes as dark as the sky above them. Amidst their duels, when did he become so well acquainted with every delicate feature on her?

When he reached for her, Toushirou couldn’t figure why he’d let his blade fall in a clatter against the wood. Instead his mind was filled with black, curtained hair and cream skin and a visage so fair it was no wonder he fell over himself for her the first time they met.

His hand stopped her sword as he invaded her space, breathed her in as the space became nil between them. The moon was high, illuminating the white of his hair nearly as bright as the stars beside it. The light as gentle as the way he pressed their lips together. It was an innocent gesture, one that takes her by surprise as a rush of breath left her. The curl of his hand against her jaw was feather light, so sweet, as if she was a delicate maiden and not a most-wanted criminal, and it jolted her awake.

The crack of her hand against his cheek echoed as she took a step back. “ _Don’t_ do that again.”

Pushing past him, Karin didn’t wait for his reply as she hurried down the stairs.

* * *

The tension between their captain and her favorite prisoner was so palpable that the entire ship made it their business to be extra rough with Toushirou. A fatherly protectiveness came with each task—scrub the grimiest parts of the deck, clean out the darkest corners, haul the heaviest crates—and he took the orders in stride. He’d get no sympathy from these men if they found out what had transpired between him and their leader.

And just why had it happened in the first place? Contemplatively, he stacked the stockroom with the newest set of riches with machine-like efficiency. What had he been thinking, kissing a woman who could very well cut him down in seconds with either a sword and a word? It had to have been a trick of the moonlight making her appear softer, more vulnerable, and he’d taken advantage of it. Just because she was capable of killing a dozen men singlehandedly didn’t mean she was so apt at handling one in any intimate nature.

 _She’s a child! Is that not enough reason to stay away?_ Immediately Ichigo’s face came unbidden to his mind, fire stoked with a maniacal mask on his face, and a shiver ran down his spine. That man would have his hide beaten bloody, only so he could let him heal and then do it again.

He sought her out when the moon began to rise. He’d practiced a fitting apology before making his way towards her chambers. She’d put him on as her guard despite their fight a few days ago. Perhaps Karin wasn’t as bothered as he thought but still, he’d wronged her and he would make amends.

Knocking on the door, he heard a muffled question. “It’s me, Hitsugaya,” he replied through the thick oak. He walked in only to halt in the doorway, a blush searing his composure.

Wrapped in a gown from the orient, Karin was drying her hair at her vanity. Beads of water dyed the silk darker in speckles and the scent of her wafted at his senses. Uncomfortably aware of her, Toushirou stepped in fully and shut the door behind him but hovered near the exit. He didn’t feel safe enough to allow himself to get closer.

“Good evening, Toushirou,” she spoke crisply, tossing her towel into a corner as she met his eyes through the mirror. The faint glow from the gas light painted her in an ethereal yellow and he found himself watching her every movement.

“Good evening, Karin. Is there anything you need before you sleep? I’ll be sure to inform someone once I take my place outside.”

“No, I’m fine,” she said evenly, combing her hair. Tangles had formed and she’d become frustrated with them, nearly tearing at the strands when they refused to come undone.

Unbidden, Toushirou came up behind her and took the brush from her. “Stop. You’ll ruin your hair.”

“Oh? And what would you know about women’s beauty regimens, hmm?” she mocked, raising a brow at him.

He decided not to answer her and instead began the task of fixing it himself. The gentle touch against her scalp relaxed her tired shoulders, making her lean back against him. Her eyes fluttered tiredly and a soft groan fell from her lips as he trailed his hands through her hair. She was too sluggish to reprimand him for his forwardness.

“I’m sorry.” He said the words in a whisper but they woke her up immediately.

“For what?”

“For what happened before, what I did. I’ve reflected on it and I realize it was wrong, forcing a kiss on you.” His regret was apparent as he finished his task and placed the brush down before stepping away from her. “I truly am sorry.”

Karin said nothing, only stared up at him with cat-like eyes and waited. Dissected him the way she did when they dueled, looking for the tiniest breaks and weaknesses in his otherwise perfect armor. After a few moments she moved, tilting her head to the side as she regarded him neutrally.

“And if I don’t want your apology?” she frowned.

“Then I will work hard until you understand my sincerity,” Toushirou clenched his fist at his side, shame beating through him. “Just, please know that I would never dare do that to any woman. It was an impulse, something about the air that night made me… But that’s not who I am, I swear it.”

“I know who you are, Toushirou. We’ve spent many months together for me to not understand that incorrigible honor you hold so dear,” Karin scoffed, rising from her seat like a queen from her throne. “So for your sake, I accept your apology. I can’t have you giving me those sad eyes every time you screw something up.”

“I don’t want you to feel like you have to do me any favors. I am honestly contrite!” But he was also growing more and more livid but that was what Karin was best at.

“I know that. I’m accepting your apology after all.”

“You’re being condescending, that’s what you’re doing.”

“Well, I’m quite horrible at being anyone other than myself,” Karin chuckled as she came to a stop before him. She liked the way Toushirou appeared when she riled him up. His brow furrowed, his eyes slanted, his lips curled, and all she had to do was say a few off-handed words.

Her nearness hit him with a crash and Toushirou had to take a deep breath to remind himself why he was there to begin with. But with the oxygen came the perfume of her skin and he couldn’t help but imagine what might lie beneath her thin clothing, if she was as perfectly proportioned as he liked to think or if her skin was marred with pale scars other warriors had. He wanted to know her so intimately it scared him.

This time, Hitsugaya couldn’t blame his adrenaline or her infuriating confidence, or even the shine of the moon. When he leaned down to kiss her, he would willingly take whatever punishment she had. It would be worth it to sate this unending curiosity, this craving to keep her from prying eyes.

But Karin did not push him back or pull away. Quite the contrary, she opened her mouth to taste him, remembering how sweet he’d been on her tongue, more addictive than any sweet from the west and more potent than any spice from the east. Her silk was starting to feel constraining, as the heat built between them and scorched away the sea’s air from the room.

She could feel him lift her, an arm supporting her from beneath as the other fell to the nape of her neck, never breaking contact as Hitsugaya aimed to devour her whole. It was a talent, to be able to balance her so carefully and yet push against her mouth with such heady single-mindedness. There might be hundreds of men who swore who loyalty to her, many who’d failed to seduce her, but he was the only one who’d ever managed to make her want him.

Wrapping her legs around his waist, Karin could feel him slipping onto her bed to trap her against her soft sheets and feathered pillows. But she wasn’t interested in sweet lovemaking. She hadn’t built her empire on accepting gifts from handsome men, after all.

Using her weight, the pirate queen flipped her lover over, pinning him on the opposite side of the bed with her hips against his and a sultry glaze to her eyes. Toushirou could do nothing but look stunned, unused to have such a forward woman. Even the ones with experience had done little more than titter and moan, leaving the work up to him. Karin was a far different but welcomed kind of bed partner.

The bulge brushing between her thighs rubbed against her shamelessly. “Let me guess, is this another form of apology, Toushirou?” she asked sweetly, deceptively, moving her hips in circles so he could feel her through his slacks. A gushing whine escapes him in a hiss, as he moves in perfect tandem with her seduction. God, he was like an untried boy of fifteen all over again.

“I wouldn’t-ah, be so… so brazen as to, to… dammit, Karin!” he struggled helplessly, torn between wanting to push her down and let her do what she wished.

The whisper of clothes coming off had him squint his eyes open and then immediately widen as Karin let the upper half of her silken dressing gown fall to expose her abdomen. A sculptor’s hands must have carved out her body, painted with only the finest colors by a master artisan. It was the only way he could describe her glowing skin littered with the faintest scars that looked more like flecks of starlight than battle wounds and the fullest breasts he’d ever seen. He’d never wanted to worship any being more than her right at this moment.

“Toushirou, my eyes are up here.”

With great effort, Toushirou looked up at his captor and saw the amusement that painted her cheeks red. She would be the type to get off on power over powerful men. And the way she was making him stand at attention with that sinful smile on her face was only proof of that.

“What, no comeback? I’m not used to you being so silent,” Karin teased, undulating her hips so she could rub her slit along the underside of his cock. There was nothing he wanted more than to be naked right now.

But Hitsugaya was rendered speechless and on the edge of a very imminent climax, as his hands found her tiny waist and he imagined the wet heat just above him, knowing he could slip a few fingers in right that moment and call it even. The night was young, however. He didn’t want something so quick when he could have her for hours, cumming beneath him until her voice had gone hoarse.

It was shameful how fast she brought him to the edge with just the tilt of her hips, the heat searing into him as her hands held her above him, knees digging into his sides as she let him ride out his first orgasm. Her tongue peeked out to lick her cherry lips, eyes darkening to near-black as she lets the shudders leave him in a sated mess beneath her.

Now it was his turn.

“Hey! Toushirou!” Karin yelped as he pushed her down again, resuming their earlier position. In his hastiness he pulled open her clothing, sucking in air through clenched teeth when he saw she was fully nude beneath it. It was as if she was planning his early demise from the start.

She opened her mouth to chastise him but it came out a garble of words instead as Hitsugaya wrapped his lips around a pink, pert nipple while one hand latched onto the other. His tongue danced circles around the tip, coating it in saliva before he brushed his teeth against the sensitive skin. Karin arched her back in response, trying to push herself further into his touch, as the junction between her thighs began to soak the folds of her core.

Upon closer inspection, Toushirou was amazed to find that Karin’s skin was far more marred than he first noticed. Thin, shiny scars had overlapped in cross-stitched patterns and she wore them with courage. There was no way this woman had seen peace for a long time and yet she had fallen apart under the assault of his hands, tongue, and lips.

All Karin could do was clench her eyes shut, pursing her lips to try and regulate her breathing and ignore the sensations that were starting to color the blackness behind her lids. It was as if he was touching every inch of her with a wet swipe beneath her breast, the way his fingers grasped at her bottom and kneaded the muscle until she was spreading her legs in silent askance. Because all she could imagine was him buried inside her, taking away everything except the hot bliss building just beneath the surface.

As if hearing her call, Toushirou took great pains to nuzzle the patch of hair right above her entrance, already smelling the delicious musk of her arousal in his nose. It was so strong and fragrant he nearly dove in for a taste but he held back. Karin would have her time but she would work for it just as she’d made him for so long.

“Toushirou…” her voice gasped, the tracing of fingers at the inner aspect of her thighs making her desperate. And she knew he was doing it on purpose, bringing her so close to that precipice only to make her hold her breath a little longer.

“What is it, Karin?” he asked, voice roughened by his earlier climax and the hardening of his cock once again. He’d managed to pull off his shirt between kissing her hipbones and teasing her nipples into twin peaks that craved his attention. Her little hiccups of tortured gratification had made him harder than any woman he’d had in his life. He’d foregone removing his pants, too fascinated with making those little noises and instead he’d unzipped them and pushed them past his hips. He’d find a better time to remove them after he’d had her at least once.

“Please… please touch me,” she pleaded in a hard hum, as if she could hide her intentions with her slurred speech.

“But I am touching you. I haven’t stopped,” Hitsugaya responded plainly, like talking about something as mundane as the weather. But there was nothing mundane at the fingers that parted her lips, exposing her to night air and his inquisitive eyes. Still, he refused to go any further.

“Please, Toushirou, I can’t. Just, please touch me… _there_ ,” Karin did everything to sound as if she wasn’t begging, even as she flattened her feet against the bed and lifted herself into the air. Such an undignified position for a lady but she knew what she wanted, and it was to have Toushirou thrust his tongue into her and make her come.

“I’m sorry, Karin, I don’t understand. What is it you’d like me to touch?” To demonstrate his point, Karin cried out at the hot feel of his tongue against her clit, tracing random patterns while his fingers rubbed the outside of her opening but never daring to enter.

“I can’t. I hate you, Toushirou…” she sobbed on his name as he finally, _finally_ , pushed a single digit into her, her insides slick from excitement. “God, Toushirou… More _, I need more_.”

His self-control snapped at the neediness in Karin’s voice, the inflections so high and broken that he almost didn’t recognize it was her speaking. But all he had to do was look down at her glorious form, warm and open and so, so shameless, and the entire world disappeared around them.

It was with a soundless scream that Karin got her first taste of Toushirou’s tongue inside her, fucking her so relentlessly she almost toppled over at that first intrusion. Her hands reached for the headboard, her body rocking up against his opened mouth and then her pillows, using it as leverage to push him deeper into her. She could reach her peak at any moment, bathe him in her fragrance, and Karin wanted nothing more than to have that tongue inside her always, spreading her knees wide and making her pumping into him with every swipe against the deepest parts of her.

Toushirou adjusted one of her knees over his shoulder, balancing her so he could drag two fingers in alongside his tongue. Never had he tasted a woman so thoroughly that he wished to stay there and just make her cum at his leisure. He could imagine Karin panting after three consecutive climaxes and him just enjoying the taste of her, her hands in his hair and pushing him away but too weak from the heady satisfaction he’d drawn from her. It was only the reminder between his own legs that stopped him from such a fantasy.

Without a word of warning, Karin came against Toushirou’s jaw and mouth, her muscles jumping in tight, controlled seizures that made her eyesight bleed black and white. Huffs came in and out of her chest as all of her energy was wrung from every fiber, leaving a dull happiness that she could’ve easily fallen asleep to.

In fact, she was halfway there when she felt the bed shift again and she had to force the muscles of her eyes to open. The first thing she saw was the cock bobbing between Toushirou’s legs, long and thick, with an angry, weeping head. Karin could do little more than watch as he lined himself with her slit, hearing him groan as his precum mixed with her leftover climax, and her body tingled with the slow rebuilding of her arousal.

When he pushed the head into her, Karin cursed out his name, painted with longing and bone-deep pleasure. He could feel the resistance in her body, how it tightened rather than relaxed, and it confused him enough to make him halt his descent. He took a moment to watch Karin, how she hid behind her hands and how her chest jumped with exhaustion, so unlike the woman that had stolen away his need with the ready push of her hips.

When he realized it, his stomach turned to lead. “Oh God, Karin, is this…?”

“My first time? Kind of, yeah…” she attempted to laugh it off, giving him a pained smile that pierced his chest. Guilt surfaced and immediately he wanted to take everything back, as he moved to pull out of her.

“Wait, what’re you doing?” Karin asked suddenly, sitting up to wrap her arms around his neck to stop him.

“I can’t be your first, Karin. That should be saved for someone worthy, someone you love and care about…”

“Are you suggesting I let one of my men do it? As if I’d let any of them see me this way.” The balance she’d struck with them was precarious at times and she didn’t need to complication of sex to add to it. Her needs had been hers and hers alone but this time, she had someone worth sharing it with, someone who looked at her and saw a woman. It was a hypnotizing, quixotic thing she could easily get drunk on.

“I chose you, Toushirou. Hell, perhaps I’ve even taken advantage of you. But I made my choice knowing what would happen when you kissed me, so don’t you dare tell me you don’t want it too.”

Hitsugaya knew he shouldn’t say yes, not when she was so convinced of her maturity when she clearly lacked more. But then Karin was kissing him softly, a tentative, lingering touch, and he felt as if he was captured by her all over again, knocked out and carried aboard her ship with no other prospects than to keep her company. He was only too happy to oblige.

Pressing her back against the mattress, Toushirou peppered her skin as he pushed into her carefully, a grunt fighting his lips as he savored her sticky warmth. His hands found her breasts, squeezing them roughly and making Karin cry out, the pain of his intrusion dulling as it mixed with hedonistic torture. He would do everything to make this good for her, he promised, as he made marks along the column of her neck, a sign of his growing possessiveness.

The first few rocks of his hips were slow, careful twists, ones that made her hiss and clench down around him. Hitsugaya was ashamed that he could feel nothing but neediness as she struggled for neutrality in their quiet chaos. So he kissed her sensually, harshly, grabbing her hips so he could pull himself into her, make her fall apart so she’ll never remember the pain.

They find their rhythm when he hits a certain spot so right that Karin could only scream, her fingernails digging into his skin as her lips murmured for him to do that again. And now it was like a treasure hunt, to find that wondrous little place inside her that would make her say his name with reverence only deities heard.

Her hips startle him when her legs curl around his body, pleading for him to come closer, love her even more. Reduced to nothing but nerve endings and her traitorous voice, Karin pushed back against him each and every time, demanding from him what she’d never asked another man for. He fought her body relentlessly, pulling her close so there was no space between them, and thrusting into her until she felt like she’d never walk right again.

This time their climax came slower, less rushed, but still so powerful that Karin still wasn’t quite ready for it to burn through her. It caught her like the moonlight, slow and creeping until it was on her and illuminating each glorious detail and shaping it into her memory. If she lost all her memories tomorrow, this single, blinding moment would be all that remained, she knew it.

Together, they fell into slumber, and Karin realized it was the first time in years that anyone had held her hand to sleep.

* * *

Dawn crept in through the windows, illuminating cool skin and cotton comforters tangled between their bodies. Hitsugaya was still asleep, cradling her to his chest in a habit that he was slowly forming. With her ear pressed to his skin, the soft thudding matched her own in a calm she wasn’t used to. Sleeping with one eye open and a gun beneath her pillow was far more common, and yet it hadn’t happened for many weeks.

Her fingers skidded and circled the skin of his abdomen, tripping over healed scars and dipped trenches. Places she’d touched only hours before and marked as her own. But the question weighed heavily on her mind… Did she have any right to keep him?

Strong hands clasp hers, lips press kisses to the pads of her fingers, sleepy eyes gander at her with drowsy contentment. It made the nervousness in her throat hard to swallow, a globus of emotion as she directed her stare away. She knew what she had to do to right this skewed balance and soothe this creeping guilt.

“Toushirou, will you stay?”

She could see the surprise overcoming the sleepy haze and he sharpened like a newly carved blade. He searched her face, looking for what brought on the change. But the reasons weren’t anything new. She’d been in constant debate with herself since that night he’d kissed her; it was just the catching up of her conscience and her heart running scared.

His hand settled comfortably on her hip and traced nonsensical patterns against her skin. “What do you mean?”

“If I let you go right now, would you choose to stay?” She couldn’t tack on those last two words. ‘With me’ sounded so final, so needy, and she’d never liked the idea of being either. She’d never wanted anyone enough to say them.

The silence bored into her as much as any physical stab could. The way his eyes trailed away, how his limbs stilled, and every thought could be read on his face. It wasn’t rejection but it wasn’t an agreement either. If anything the indecisiveness burned more than a straightforward answer, as she pulled away and sat up. She needed air.

“Wait, Karin,” Toushirou called out for her, a plea in his soft command, and for a moment she stilled. So much power over her, and yet she could do nothing to make him return it.

“I have nothing to say to you, Captain Hitsugaya. I’ve given you what you wanted and then some.” She clutched the sheet closer to her chest, crumpling it between her fingers longingly. “You may take your leave as soon as we reach our next port.”

“What’re you saying?” he asked, watching her slip away. She’d become the sand in an hour glass when only moments before he’d held her close. Just hours ago he’d loved her until her mind was only filled with him. He didn’t understand.

“I’m letting you go,” Karin explained, more forceful than she intended as she slipped on a blouse from her drawer. Reaching for a pair of trousers, she was careful to keep her head down. “You may not have fulfilled my deal but you’ve outlived your initial purpose to entertain me. And so I release you from it. Isn’t that what you wanted since the beginning?”

“No,” Hitsugaya growled, tossing his legs over the edge of the bed before climbing out. He grabbed his pants and slipped them on, busying himself to distract his growing anger. “I mean, yes but… I don’t. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.”

She smirked to herself. “Yes, I suppose my virtue was meant to stay intact but, as you can see, I lack the morals for that sort of guilt.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

The problem was, neither of them truly knew what they meant anymore. Her lips said leave but everything about her screamed no. Hitsugaya fared little better, a scowl inching its way over him as he scrambled for the right thing to say. But they’d never been particularly apt at straightforward communication.

In the end, Toushirou bared himself to her, defenses gone. “Come with me.”

The possibilities of when he was offering flashed before her eyes. Being able to see her mother and sister rather than lengthy letters that she may or may not receive on time, their worried voices in her head replaced with sincere laughter. Her brother holding his little boy’s hand and introducing him to his aunt while Rukia smiles off to the side, an indulgently happy couple. Her father leading her down the aisle with Toushirou standing at the end, a shy smile stretched across his face.

It was the fairytale her mother had told her growing up, the princess being saved by her handsome prince. But she was no damsel in distress, and those fantasies were intended for innocent little girls, not pirate queens.

When Karin met his gaze, it hurt how easy her answer came. “No.”

* * *

She wasn’t there to see him off. Instead she’d stayed below deck, pouring over papers and maps and correspondence about the next valuable vessel she’d bribed her way to get information on. There would be no sweet goodbyes or delusions for her, Karin decided sternly, sorting through her collection with only half a mind.

The crew would be more than enough of a send-off. She contented herself with that.

“Are you okay with this, captain?”

Startled, she glared over her shoulder at Kira. He wore a sorry look on his face but she wasn’t sure if it was a new emotion or simply his default. There was something unnaturally gloomy about that boy’s face.

“I have no idea what you mean,” she grumbled as she rifled through a folder and set out a specific document. She made a note to change their course once they left port.

“Letting Hitsugaya-san go. Was it the right decision?”

“He might be an officer but he’s no snitch, Kira. I wouldn’t do anything to put any of you in danger.” She’d been born sheltered and then tossed herself into peril. She knew what it was like to be both secure and to live day-to-day with some expectation that she might not get to see the end of it. There was no way she could let her comrades experience that kind of threat again.

Kira shook his head at her, oddly disappointed. “Not for us, Captain. For you. Was it right letting him go when you two…”

“When we two what?” she snapped, lips curling into a snarl. This was dangerous territory her friend was stepping in.

But the man did not fold, just steadied his hands and regarded her with a brotherly affection that made her a little uncomfortable. “When you two were starting to care for each other.”

“We did _not_ care for each other. You’re far too romantic if you think I’d get swept away so easily.”

“And yet here you are, busying yourself with tasks that don’t require completion and refusing other’s company.” Something akin to frustration ghosted over Kira’s features. “It was wrong of you not to even say goodbye.”

“You are very close to having your head handed to you, Kira. And you know I am nothing less than my word.”

She placed her hand on her hilt for good measure. An itch was just beneath her skin, had settled there the moment they’d landed and Toushirou had bid his wayward captors farewell. And it remained there even when he knocked on her door and she denied his entrance, all the while pressing her cheek to the wood as he mumbled something unintelligible and stepped away. She’d stayed there until the sound of his footfalls disappeared and her heart hardened itself in her chest.

“I do not mean to test your patience, Captain, nor do I want a fight,” the blond held up his palms helplessly as he softened into a trying smile, “All I wanted to say was that there is no shame in what you felt for him, nor he for you. I am grateful for whatever sacrifice you made when you sent him away but do not think that the crew and I are so blind or callous that we do not see you hurting.”

Karin’s strength seeped out of her, making her legs tremble as she grappled with the desk for balance. She hid her weakness as best she could, scowling at her subordinate with more rage than she actually felt. “Are you done? If so it would be in your best interest to disappear from my sight this instant.”

“As you wish,” Kira bowed but the sigh in his voice was apparent. He shut the door behind him and once again there was a damning silence.

Pressing a hand to her temples, Karin sat on her desk and gulped down a few deep breaths to try and reconstruct her composure. But she couldn’t, as a feeling of loss hollowed out her stomach and emotions made her eyes swim. She refused to regret her decision. She refused to let Hitsugaya maintain any semblance of bearing on her life, make her dream of things outlaws didn’t wish. All she needed was a bit of time to forget everything that was Hitsugaya Toushirou.

.

.

.

“Is Urahara-san in?”

With a jolt, Ururu looked up at the disguised gentlewoman and gave the slightest tilt of her chin. It’d been many months since her last visit to the lawyer who handled her various accounts. There were few people who had the ability to keep their mouths shut about such dubious means.

“Y-yes, K-kurosaki-san. Please w-wait a moment,” she stretched her hand towards the seating area as Karin smiled and took a seat. She didn’t stay long as the other woman called her in and closed the door behind her.

Behind the desk was the unconventional Urahara Kisuke, a seasoned attorney who handled her affairs with skill his appearance didn’t supplement. His wooden clogs were always on his feet and he preferred the green and white kimono of his homeland over the confining coats and pants his contemporaries wore. She was a bit envious as the corset cut into her ribs with every breath as she slid into a seat.

“No bodyguard today?” he inquired. His observations were always right on the money, making her squirm.

“I didn’t see the need for any company.”

“Is that so? I thought you were quite fond of the last one you brought. Hitsugaya-kun, was it?” Kisuke interrogated her under the pretense of casual conversation and she didn’t like it one bit.

“You’re awfully nosy today, Urahara-san. But if you must know, that man is no longer under my… employment, for lack of a better word.”

“You mean you set him free.” There was no question at the end. “Well that would explain his visit then.”

Her heart dived, mouth parting as her mind bubbled with a thousand questions. What would he be doing here, what purpose would that serve? Was he going to lead his superiors to her through Urahara, or was he biding his time and collecting evidence? Did he look well? Was he happy?

But she couldn’t summon the courage to ask him. “I see.”

“Yes, he was quite adamant about seeing you again,” the man gave out every word with worrying nonchalance but she clung to each one. “Not that I could tell him a set date or schedule, of course. You come and go with the tides that carry your ship. I am no more privy to your spontaneity than your loved ones.”

“Is there any specific reason as to why he was looking for me?” Karin pried, appearing equally unfettered by the news. In reality her heart was galloping so hard she could feel it in her ears. “Why, I doubt he’d be able to find any proof of my activities by going to you. I allow you to handle my accounts because of your discretion and fairness, Urahara-san.” A glean blunted her prettiness. “Would it be in my best interest to take my business elsewhere?”

“Now, now, no need to be hasty,” the grinning man waved off, exceptionally calm in the face of her threat. “I was merely wondering why he’d be seeking you out. Other than for your bounty, of course.”

“Of course.”

A thrill of terror coursed through her and immediately she ran through a dozen plans to throw Hitsugaya off her trail. She’d best take care of her business now and be off. She’d have to take an extended leave from this place, spread some rumors about doing her transactions elsewhere, and come back when the coast was clear.

Looking over her forged papers and instructions, Urahara excused himself for a moment to gather his own contracts to sign. It was difficult handling the post-humus wills of her crew, partly because of the sheer number and partly because she didn’t enjoy thinking of their deaths, but it had to be done. Parents and wives needed to be mailed, valuables divided, and funeral services ordered. When one made it their job to flirt with death then one had best be prepared to accept its invitation.

The door opened and shut, and Karin breathed a sigh of relief. Her signatures were all that was left and then she could escape this confining place before anyone was any the wiser.

“Welcome back, Karin.”

The depth of that voice coursed through her, shook her very foundation, as she shot up from her seat and turned her attention to him. The tremors in her hands reached all the way to her abdomen, fluttering in what might’ve been pain or pleasure. She was too stunned to school herself into her usual mask as she gazed up Toushirou for the first time in many months.

His hair had been cut shorter, more fitting for his position as a captain, and he wore his royal blue uniform with quiet grace. His face seemed sharper, as if he’d lost a bit of weight, but they only enhanced that damned prettiness that caught her unawares in the first place. The way he watched her with green steel tugged at tightened heartstrings.

“Captain Hitsugaya. A pleasure to see you again,” she lied, voice just a tad too high. They could both hear it loud and clear.

“And I you. It seems that my waiting here has paid off,” Toushirou shrugged, calculated even in his barest movements.

She didn’t have the time to play this game with him. “You have no information to hold me with. I confirmed that with Urahara-san. So if you’ll excuse me, I have a ship to run and duties to finish.” She’d apologize to Kisuke later and find a way to sign the documents another way. If anything, she could send Madarame or Ayasegawa. Their loyalty would make them cautious.

But he didn’t move from his spot between her and the door, and she felt the challenge he issued by refusing to let her go. So he wanted to take down a lawless pirate without a shred of proof and her without a sword or gun? Find then. He could try.

“I’d like to make this easier on everyone by taking my leave without a fight. Do you wish to go against me, Captain Hitsugaya? You’ve yet to defeat me.”

“And yet you let me go. Why is that?”

The answer was apparent, so much so that she snarled at him, a growl working its way to her throat. How dare he use that one night against her, trap her like she was some genteel girl without a shred of knowledge of the world and he a hunter after her social standing. She balled her hands, ready to break the door down and him with it if need be.

“I let you go because you were a nuisance. You served your purpose of entertaining me, Captain, and now you’re grating on my nerves. Move now before I’m forced to end you.”

“I don’t think that’s the reason at all,” Toushirou replied, surprisingly easygoing as he leans back against the door. The air of authority dissipated and he looked more familiar now, as if he’d turned back time to those months he’d kept her company.

She folded her arms over her chest, playing coy. “Oh? So what are you thinking, hmm?”

“I think you were falling in love and so you pushed me away.”

It stole her breath away and then a rush of laughter fell from her chest, a mad, squirming sound that was half hilarity, half fear. She’d like to think she’d know when she fell in love the first time, and certainly it’d happen before she’d invite a man into her bed. Curiosity maybe, lust for sure, but love? She had no use for the emotion.

“You say so much and yet there’s so little substance. Please, allow me the favor of ending your embarrassment. I promise it’ll hurt less than any other fight you’ve had with me.”

Her smirk lit up her face and for a moment Toushirou was stunned by just how much he’d missed her. Her taunts and scowls, her sarcastic speech, all the details he’d rendered into his mind without noticing. They’d only shared a bed once, kisses a handful of times, but they were the only things his mind played back at night, the feeling of loss fresh whenever he dreamed of her.

When he closed the distance between them, air caught in her throat again and she couldn’t help the budding of hope in her chest. Horrible words come to mind, full of dark wit and defensive cuts she’d have used on another without thinking, but her mouth refused to form a single one. Instead she stared up blankly at him as he leaned forward and pressed their lips together, a familiar rumble of sighing satisfaction and burning fire coursing through her whole body.

He kissed her as if they’d never been separated, as if she’d never hurt him with every cut of his skin and searing remark. She was shining treasure, bountiful and priceless, and he was the only man in the world who knew it. Caressing her cheek, he wound them so close together so he could remember the feel of her. Because, come tomorrow, she’d be gone and he’d be right back where he started.

“My declaration of war against you, Karin. One day I will bring you back from the opposite side of the law and you will be mine,” Hitsugaya mumbled into her ear, holding her tight. It was as if he was afraid she’d escape before he was finished as she had so many times before.

Deep down, some unshakable part of her believed him. “It won’t be easy, you know. You’re not the only man after my life, nor am I so easily convinced to give up my freedom for domestication.”

“You, domesticated? I’d never even considered it,” he chuckled, burrowing his nose in his hair and letting her scent both calm and arouse him. Ah, there wasn’t enough time for him to have her the way he wanted. And he did want her in every possible way.

“And of the others who wish for my life? Will you fight them off too, your own comrades?” she inquired lightly, crushing his uniform into her hands and burrowing into his chest.

“They cannot handle you, let alone have you. You will only be caught by me.”

“So confident,” Karin purred, her body stirring at his words. She tiptoed to align her lips with his ear, “I do enjoy my men confident and so desperately in need of me.”

Groaning lowly, he glared down at her and was going to kiss her senseless when a knock at the door interrupted them.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to take your escapades elsewhere, Karin. Unless you wouldn’t mind a voyeur,” Urahara said as he walked, so serious Toushirou wasn’t sure if he was joking. The glower he shot the old man was meant to ward him off but he merely smiled at him as if he was a pup trying to scare off an old lion.

“My bedroom exploits are rather private, I’m afraid,” Karin gently returned, untangling herself from Hitsugaya but remained close. “And I’d like to keep them that way. Where are your papers, sir? I’d like to be on my way.”

“And off to bed?” he smiled cunningly, holding out the folder. She took them and decided not to comment as she grabbed a pen from his desk. Hitsugaya was nonplussed, standing over his lover protectively.

Taking back the papers, he shooed the young ones off, humming some merry little love song as they closed the door behind them. They bid Ururu goodbye and shuffled out the door, walking along the empty street in companionable silence.

But Karin broke it as she laced their fingers together and stared up at him. “I am no easy mark, Toushirou. I will not come to you easily, nor will I quit anytime soon. If you are patient and willing to wait for me, perhaps one day we might…”

She licked her lips, the acknowledgement hanging onto her insides. Karin didn’t have the ability to make promises so far ahead, not when her life belonged to her men, not when she couldn’t even promise her own family that they wouldn’t get a letter speaking of her untimely demise.

Sensing her distress, Toushirou uttered nothing and squeezed her hand, a source of strength she’d never expected. But he knew what he was accepting by telling her this. He knew there would be lonely nights and days where he’d doubt everything he’d ever felt about her, because he’d be chasing her shadow, looking for a glimpse of the places where she might’ve been. It would be a contest of catching her only to let her escape. He’d have to wait many years and he wasn’t sure if he’d get through them the same way he went in.

But every future he pictured had her in it, and so all he could do was play the game.

* * *

**Epilogue**

_Fifteen years later_

"Touché, Papa!"

"Alright, alright, I give!" The former captain presented his palms to his children—a set of fraternal twins, a boy with black hair and a girl with gray—as the sun came down in smears of red, orange and purple. He was grateful there was no water beneath his feet as the world began its descent into night, as it had been many years since he’d last stood on a boat. After an honorable discharge from the navy, he had many things to be grateful for after he left the service.

"You two! Are we attacking Papa again when we should be getting ready for dinner?" a stern maternal voice called out from the doorway of their modest home. Deceiving considering all the money Karin had hidden away after she'd given up her wayward thieving.

"Papa was teaching us how to fight, Mama! We wanna be like him one day but _I_ wanna be more like you," Yuna cheered as she ran up to tangle her fingers in her mother's skirts. The little girl adored her mother and at six-years-old, she'd decided to go into medicine because of Karin. Healers were always needed and well loved, and there was no better position for her mother than that as far as she knew.

"Yeah, one day I wanna be like Papa! Gonna hunt down bad guys and save damsels in distress!" Swinging his sword, Haru did a jab that nearly had him tumbling to the grass. "I'm gonna be unbeatable, just like him!"

"’Unbeatable,’ huh?" Throwing him a look, Toushirou had the decency to blush and scratch the back of his head sheepishly. They both knew why he'd become so skilled, after all.

"Well, while that's all well and good I believe it's almost time for dinner. Go wash up or else no food for the both of you," she hurried them in and took their wooden swords in each hand. Their laughter filled the halls as they rushed to their separate chambers. "I expect you both to be fully bathed and dressed in one hour!"

"As for you," Karin lowered her long, long lashes at her husband before jutting her head towards the door, "I expect the same of you, mister. I swear, you've no ability to discipline your own children. Where did all that self-control of your youth disappear to?"

"I sold it to a pirate for her heart long ago," he whispered as he pecked his wife lovingly on the lips and danced out of range.

He could almost hear her flush red as she huffed at him, closing the door behind her as she followed him into their bedroom. Without looking, he dodged the first stab of her short sword, twisting his head out of the way just so. She followed with a sweep of her second and he frowned when he realized she had both of their children's toys. How disadvantageous.

Turning about, he parried a good offensive strike but dodged more than he would've liked. Their large, oak bed took most of the room in their master suite and made maneuvering that much more difficult. So difficult that when she managed to dislodge his weapon from his hand, Toushirou fell against the soft mattress with a blade at his throat. Above him stood his wife, triumphant.

"My win again, Toushirou," she smiled evilly, keeping her sword pointed at him as she let the other fall to the floor with a clatter. He had to swallow deep as she crawled on top of him, settling against his hips while his legs dangled over the edge, trapped.

Exactly how he liked himself with his wife.

"It seems I'm going soft in my old age," Hitsugaya replied, as if it was own fault he was captured. She snorted above him before rubbing against him familiarly, making a hiss escape his lips at the shocks of pleasure climbing up his spine.

"Yes because it has absolutely nothing to do with my skill," she said the words with double meaning, eyes half-lidded as she slid the front of her body against his like a slinking cat. Her hips continued their undulating movement against him, seducing him with each careful caress in a parody of what she wanted.

Even half-hard and desperately in need, he couldn't just let her win. "I'm glad you understand, my love. Women are so wise," he straggled out as she pressed kisses to the side of his face and neck. One hand slid down the front of his body as the other tossed the toy aside and entwined in the hair at his nape.

“Is that your final answer, Toushirou?” she asked sweetly. Sitting up, he almost cried out an apology when her fingers and lips left him. If there was any man fool enough to claim he was in control of his marriage he was most certainly not married. Not happily, at least.

“Umm…” The circuit between his brain and mouth faltered as Karin smirked prettily and let her hair down. Coming down in waves of thick black, he could smell the scent from her bath only hours before tickle his senses and steal the rest of his coherent thought. And away went any word-forming abilities as she undid a few buttons at the collar of her dress. Not all of them. Just enough to drive him crazy.

“Well, husband? Have you no words for me?” Karin chided with a laugh, liking the longing that fought with his consternation. She could feel his hardness beneath her and she was tempted to give in. He’d make it worth her while and truly, they didn’t have much time to themselves with two children about. But the rush of power she had over him was too tantalizing not to stretch every so often.

“You know you win. You always win, woman, and I don’t know why you bother letting me think otherwise," he growled into his throat, hands pushing beneath her skirt to pet her thighs. “I have been and will forever be at your mercy.”

Pleased, Karin bit her lip to stop herself from smiling. “It goes both ways, Toushirou, I promise you that,” she admitted before leaning back down and sealing their lips together.


End file.
